Tuesday, January 05, 2010

Gulch business group/Metro "unit" lobbies Metro CM Gilmore for convention center

This afternoon, 24 hours before the event, Dist. 19 CM Erica Gilmore sent out an announcement to her constituents about the community meeting she is co-hosting with Dist. 2 CM Frank Harrison at the North Nashville Police Precinct regarding the proposed convention center.

Less than an hour later, a board member with the Gulch Business Improvement District, a non-profit that promotes business in the Gulch, replied to CM Gilmore expressing the organization's support for the new convention center:
Thanks for the invite.

I am on the board of the Gulch Business Improvement District and we discussed this matter collectively as a board last month and we definitely support the new convention center and believe it is a definite asset to our city.

What is your and Councilman Harrison’s position on the new convention center?

Thanks,

Michael Lindseth
NextGen Properties, LLC
According to a June 2009 audit of the Gulch Business Improvement District, the organization is considered a "component unit of Metro" due to its fiscal dependence on Metro government. GBID was established "to administer special assessment revenues collected by the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County ... under a memorandum of understanding with Metro."

Lindseth's reply to Gilmore was also copied to CM Harrison, CM Jason Holleman, State Senator Thelma Harper and a host of Gulch business leaders. That group included:

Not sure yet whether CM Gilmore replied to the Gulch business/Metro "unit" interest group.


UPDATE: More from the 2009 audit regarding GBID's dependence on Metro government:
The Organization receives substantially all of its revenue from its agreement with Metro through local government special assessments. Should Metro discontinue this arrangement, the Organization would no longer be able to continue its operations without obtaining alternative sources of revenue.

1 comment:

  1. If I were a business owner in the downtown area I would probably support the MCC too as its obviously in my interest to have as many potentioal customers as possible. The MCC, seems a good bet, especially since I'm not paying for it (ideally).
    Thanks Mike, for pointing out the financial ties to Metro govt. that this particular group of business people has. Hopefully the CMs are cognizant of this fact, too.

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